Birthday Cake

Science Boy celebrated a birthday this past weekend, so I needed to get a cake for Sunday night. (A friend brought him a caramel cake from Bake for Me on Friday night. Very tasty.) Since I was hosting a party for his family, I was looking for a 1/4 sheet cake that would be tasty and reasonably priced. I also wanted to get a picture of his Mii (from our Wii game system) put on the cake.

I called a few places, but prices were in the $40 range and then the machine Bake for Me usues to transfer pictures was broken. I ended up at Strack and Van Til. I ordered a chocolate cake with chocolate buttercream filling and white buttercream frosting.

I went to pick it up Sunday morning and the first thing I noticed was that it looked great. The transfer of his Mii was very cool. They had cropped anything extra in the picture so it was just the face. (I had actually taken a picture of the Mii from the tv and was worried about the quality.) I mean, it wasn't elegant and gorgeous, like some cakes, but it was fun and looked good for a sheet cake.

Everyone was delighted - including the birthday boy! - when they saw the design. The real test, though, would be the taste.

Wonderful! The cake was moist and flavorful. The filling was chocolatey goodness without being too sweet.

And, have I mentioned that I hate buttercream? I do. I am a whipped cream frosting gal. But, since it was SB's birthday, not mine, I got the buttercream. I figured I would have a little taste and then scrape the rest off...

Yeah, that didn't happen. The frosting was delicious, too! Huzzah!

We did have leftover cake, so I put it in tupperware when we got it home. Although I picked it up early Sunday morning, as of this morning, it is still super moist and yummy.

The picture transfer was $9 and, altogether, the cake came to $26.99. If you're looking for a tasty, economical birthday cake option, I highly recommend the bakery at Strack and Van Til.

Strack and Van Til- Elston
2627 N. Elston Ave
Chicago, IL 60647
773-252-6400

(Why do I never have my camera with me when I post? I'll add a photo of the cake later.)